[If you… depart] from the way that I command you this day, to follow [other gods]: This teaches that whoever worships idols departs from the entire path that Israel has been commanded. From here [our Rabbis] said: One who acknowledges [the divinity of] pagan deities is as though he denies the entire Torah. — [Sifrei]

you shall place those blessing: As the Targum [Onkelos] renders it: יָת מְבָרְכַיָא,“those who bless.”

ונתתה את הברכה: כתרגומו ית מברכיא, את המברכים:

upon Mount Gerizim: [עַל, usually “upon,” here means] “facing Mount Gerizim.” [The Levites] turned their faces [toward the mountain] and began with the blessing:“Blessed is the man who does not make any graven or molten image….” Each of the curses in that section [beginning Deut. 27:15] were first stated in the expression of a blessing. Afterwards, they turned their faces towards Mount Ebal and began [to recite the corresponding] curse. — [Sotah 32a]

Are they not [on the other side of the Jordan]?- [: Moses] gave [geographical] landmarks [describing the mountains].

הלא המה: נתן בהם סימן:

beyond: Heb. אַחֲרֵי, [I.e.,] after crossing the Jordan, much further on in distance, for that is the meaning of the expression אַחֲרֵי, “beyond”; wherever [the term] אַחֲרֵי is used, [it signifies]“a great separation [in time or place].”

[on the other side of the Jordan, way beyond,] in the direction of the sunset: [i.e.,] beyond the Jordan, toward the west. And the cantillation marks of the verse prove that [אַחֲרֵי and דֶּרֶךְ] refer to two separate things, for they are marked with two [conjunctive] accents [thus demonstrating that these words are not connected]: אַחֲרֵי is punctuated with a pashta [which separates the word from the succeeding one], and דֶּרֶךְ is punctuated with a mashpel [which we call a yetib]. In addition, [the ד of the word דֶּרֶךְ has a dagesh inside it [which indicates that the word דֶּרֶךְ begins a new phrase or topic]. If, however, אַחֲרֵי דֶרֶךְ were one phrase [meaning “beyond the direction”], then אַחֲרֵי would have been punctuated by a conjunctive accent, namely a shofar hafuch [which we call a mahpach] and דֶּרֶךְ by a pashta [the combination of which indicates the connection between those words. Additionally, the ד of the word דֶּרֶךְ] would not have a dagesh inside it. [But this is not so, and thus אַחֲרֵי and דֶּרֶךְ are separate words in this verse.]

For you are crossing the Jordan: The miracles [that will occur for you during your crossing] of the Jordan will be a sign in your hands that you will come and inherit the land [as promised]. — [Sifrei]

You shall not do so [to the Lord your God]: to burn sacrifices to God in any place you choose, but rather at the place that He will choose. Another explanation is: “And you shall tear down their altars… and destroy their name… [but] do not do so [to the Lord your God]”; this is an admonition [addressed] to one who would erase the Name [of God from any writing] or remove a stone from the altar or from the courtyard (Mak. 22a). Rabbi Ishmael said: Would it enter your mind that the Israelites would tear down the altars [of God]? Rather, [the meaning of“You shall not do so” is that] you should not do like the deeds of the nations so that your sins would cause the sanctuary of [i.e., built by] your fathers to be destroyed. — [Sifrei]

you shall inquire after His dwelling: Heb. לְשִׁכְנוֹ. This is the Mishkan in Shiloh.

לשכנו תדרשו: זה משכן שילה:

6And there you shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and the separation by your hand, and your vows and your donations, and the firstborn of your cattle and of your sheep.

You shall not do as all [the things] that we do [here this day]: This refers back to [what is stated above], “For you are crossing the Jordan…” (Deut. 11:31), meaning: When you will cross the Jordan, you immediately are permitted to offer up [sacrifices] on a bamah [a temporary altar] during the entire fourteen years of conquering [the nations] and dividing [the land among the tribes], but on a bamah you may not sacrifice all that you sacrifice “here this day,” in the Mishkan , which is with you and has been anointed and is [thus] fit to sacrifice therein sin-offerings and guilt-offerings, vows and donations, whereas on a bamah , you may sacrifice only what is vowed or a donated. And that is the meaning of “every man [doing] what he deems fit” vows and donations that you donate because you deem fit to bring them, not because of any obligation [imposed upon you]; only these may you offer up on a bamah . — [Sifrei; Zev. 117b]

For you have not yet come [to the resting place]: All those fourteen years [of conquering and dividing the land].

כי לא באתם: כל אותן ארבע עשרה שנה:

not yet: Heb., עַד עַתָּה, the same as עִדַיִין, “not yet.”

עד עתה: כמו עדיין:

to the resting place: This is Shiloh.

אל המנוחה: זו שילה:

[or to] the inheritance: This is Jerusalem. — [Sifrei ; Zev. 119a]

הנחלה: זו ירושלים:

10And you shall cross the Jordan and settle in the land the Lord, your God, is giving you as an inheritance, and He will give you rest from all your enemies surrounding you, and you will dwell securely.

and He will give you rest: [I.e.,] after conquering and dividing [the land] and having obtained rest from the “nations which the Lord left over, through whom to test Israel” (Judg. 3:1). And that was only in the days of David. Then: